Match Reports

Hearts 2-2 Rangers

2nd May 2015

Amazing fightback from the champions to draw 2-2.

Hearts showed the spirit of champions to come from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Rangers at Tynecastle.

First-half goals from Darren McGregor and Kenny Miller gave the men in maroon a mountain to climb, but Genero Zeefuik halved the deficit late in the game before bagging the equaliser in the 90th minute.

The Champions made five changes to the side that beat Cowdenbeath last week; Scott Gallacher, Danny Wilson, Soufian El Hassnaoui, Sam Nicholson, and Miguel Pallardo replaced Jack Hamilton, Brad McKay, Genero Zeefuik, Jordan McGhee and Kenny Anderson, who all dropped to the bench.

The game kicked-off to an electric atmosphere and Hearts almost found themselves ahead after ten minutes. Pallardo’s defence-splitting pass was latched onto by Walker, but as he ran into the box he couldn’t slip it beyond Cammy Bell, who blocked over the bar.

One minute later Bell was scrambling across his line as Pallardo’s deflected shot threatened to dip under the crossbar, but instead landed inches wide of the post.

Rangers did threaten, and in the 14th minute Kenny Miller broke down the right before flashing the ball across the face of goal, luckily for the men in maroon there were no takers at the back post.

Hearts looked more in control with Walker dominating the midfield, however it was the visitors who had another half-chance; this time Nicky Law crossed to the back post but Haris Vuckic could only find the side netting.

Just after the half-hour mark, Rangers took the lead. Law’s deep free-kick was met by McGregor, who leapt high above everyone else to power a header beyond Gallacher.

Controversy surrounded Rangers’ second goal. Sow burst through on goal only to be wiped out by Bell, but referee Callum Murray waved play on, only for the visitors to break up the park and Miller tapped home into an empty net from Richard Foster’s cross.

No changes at half-time meant it was as you were, and a scrappy opening period sparked into life when Walker shrugged off two challenges to let fly from 25-yards, but Bell made the block and gathered at the second attempt.

Sow and McHattie combined well inside the Rangers box to tee-up the left-back, but his near post stab at goal was palmed wide by Bell.

It should’ve been 3-0 to the visitors with 14 minutes remaining. Vuckic’s free-kick was met by the unmarked Marius Zaliukas, but he bulleted his free header wide of the target.

With nine minutes remaining Hearts pulled one back. Morgaro Gomis’ cross found substitute Zeefuik in the box, and he steered his header away from Bell and into the corner of the net.

You could sense it was coming, and come it did in the 90th minute. A scramble in the box saw Zeefuik finally stab the ball goalward, past Bell and into the back of the net.

An amazing climax to the game and a deserved point for the Jambos, who went on to lift the Championship trophy at full-time.